Reverse-selective diffusion in nanocomposite membranes

dc.creatorHill, Reghan J.
dc.date2005-10-27
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T06:45:36Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T06:45:36Z
dc.descriptionThe permeability of certain polymer membranes with impenetrable nanoinclusions increases with the particle volume fraction (Merkel et al., Science, 296, 2002). This intriguing observation contradicts even qualitative expectations based on Maxwell's classical theory of conduction/diffusion in composites with homogeneous phases. This letter presents a simple theoretical interpretation based on classical models of diffusion and polymer physics. An essential feature of the theory is a polymer-segment depletion layer at the inclusion-polymer interface. The accompanying increase in free volume leads to a significant increase in the local penetrant diffusivity, which, in turn, increases the bulk permeability while exhibiting reverse selectivity. This model captures the observed dependence of the bulk permeability on the inclusion size and volume fraction, providing a straightforward connection between membrane microstructure and performance.
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0510746
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0510746
dc.identifierPhys. Rev. Lett. 2006 (96) 216001
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.216001
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/103086
dc.subjectMaterials Science
dc.subjectSoft Condensed Matter
dc.titleReverse-selective diffusion in nanocomposite membranes
dc.typetext

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